when Irony meets Art x By Karl

Karl Lagerfeld created 75 art pieces for dramatic display at his Chanel show at Paris' Grand Palais.

Karl Lagerfeld is a man of many talents: Not only is he Chanel's lauded designer, but also an industrious artist, a sensitive colorist and a gallery curator.

With a snap of his black-gloved finger, curator Lagerfeld transformed the vast interior of Paris' Grand Palais into his very own gallery space. Colorful oil paintings lined the walls, one featuring an abstract rendering of "Chanel No. 5." A whole host of curious art objects scattered the runway — like a giant-sized handbag or a surreal 1-meter (yard) perfume bottle made of marble that seemed to sink into the floor.

"It's like the days of Andy Warhol," Lagerfeld said backstage, raising the age-old philosophical question: is fashion art?

The question was answered here in a painterly clothes palette of some 150 different colours. There was a series of strong, colorful brush-stroke patterns on flowing and fitted dresses in dark to light hues. Then there was the large "portfolio" bags, the painted Chanel logos on handbags, and a rucksack with large wooden brushes poking out.

Where does the 79-year-old find the energy to produce such new ideas season upon season?

"For me, I like this kind of life: living in evolution and in the inventive spirit all the time," explained the designer. "For me, it it's like breathing." 

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